Abilene police make video showing proper traffic stop procedures

ABILENE, Texas - Getting pulled over by a police officer can be stressful, but every traffic stop could mean danger for the officer, according to Abilene Police Department Assistant Chief Doug Wrenn.

To help alleviate those stresses, the department created a video to show citizens how to properly handle themselves during a traffic stop.

"We hope the citizens will understand that it's not just them that are nervous about the traffic stop being made, it's also the officers," Wrenn said. "When they're entering the great unknown, they don't know who they are pulling over. You have two sets of people that are nervous during that interaction."

It might seem like common sense, but there are a lot of little things that people do when they are pulled over that could be read as potential danger. Police say taking a long time to pull over, getting out of the car, or digging in your purse or bag can raise alarm for officers.

The almost seven-minute video goes through what you should and shouldn't do during a traffic stop. The main goal is to get officers and citizens on common ground and keep both parties safe.

"We're optimistic that now our community members can have a better understanding of what the officers see and face when they approach the vehicle," Wrenn said. "We absolutely want our community members to also understand that they deserve a professional interaction with all our officers."